As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
We, ignorant of ourselves, Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers Deny us for our good; so find we profit By losing of our prayers.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our lack of self-awareness can lead us to ask for things that are harmful, which wiser forces prevent us from attaining for our own benefit.
In this quote, Shakespeare highlights the irony of human desires, suggesting that what we often wish for may not be in our best interest. The wise powers, likely referring to fate or divine oversight, deny our requests not out of malice but to protect us from our own ignorance. Ultimately, true gain often comes from recognizing the value of what we do not receive, as our misguided prayers can lead us away from our true good.
Themes
IgnoranceWisdomDesiresProtectionSelf-Awareness
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote to emphasize the importance of wisdom in decision-making during a motivational speech.
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